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Twenty-nine Graduate School of Nursing students received their Registered Nurse pins and recited a pledge to serve their communities and their profession at UMass Worcester’s 10th annual Graduate Entry Pathway Pinning. Held in the presence of family and friends on Sept. 15, the GEP Pinning Ceremony kicked off Convocation Week 2014 at UMass Worcester with a tradition that signifies the master of science and doctor of nursing practice students’ readiness to become registered nurses as they continue their studies towards graduate degrees.
“The quality inherent in our graduates is well known and sought after,” said Eileen Terrill, PhD, associate professor of nursing and director of the GEP Program. “We are very proud of the GEP students and we welcome them as colleagues and leaders.”
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The Pledge I solemnly pledge myself in the presence of this assembly to practice my profession of nursing faithfully. I will provide care where care is needed and shape the environment in which care occurs so that the promise of caring may be fulfilled. I will center my practice on the welfare of all those in my care honoring the fullness of their humanity. I will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping. I will refrain from any action, and will not knowingly take any action, that will do harm. I will maintain and elevate the standards of my profession through reasoned inquiry and faithful scholarship, and by embodying the integrity expected of me by my peers and those I serve. |
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Established in 2004, the GSN GEP program gives entrance into the profession to individuals with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing. Students become registered nurses after one year of accelerated coursework, and then continue with graduate study that qualifies them to become nurse practitioners, nurse educators and nursing executives.
With various goals for their ultimate careers in family, acute and gerontological nursing, some of the newly pinned nurses will complete a master of nursing science degree in 2016; others will earn the doctor of nursing practice degree in 2018. In completing their degrees, they will join nearly 300 graduates in whose footsteps they are following.
To mark the 10th pinning ceremony to take place since the first GEP class was admitted, inaugural class member Joanne Lewis, MS, ACNP, shared reflections on where the program has taken her.
“It was very intense but every minute was worth it, and I am still reaping the rewards today,” said Lewis, now an acute care nurse practitioner in the Department of Surgery at UMass Memorial Medical Center. “We are all very lucky to be part of the UMass GEP program and we will always have each other as trusted colleagues.”
Five students were honored for outstanding achievements:
- Caroline Kane received the Academic Excellence Award for the highest GPA;
- Jonathan Attias and Victoria Creedon received the Clinical Excellence Award for clinical skills;
- Kasia Dodman received the Spirit of Nursing Award for embodying the attributes of nursing; and
- Desiree King and Caroline Kane received the Community Engagement Award for commitment to community service.
“Today is a great time to reflect and be proud of what we’ve done, but also to start to look ahead as we move forward in our new profession,” said class speaker Benjamin Alfred. “To my new fellow nurses, we did it!”
The Graduate Entry Pathway Class of 2016/2018
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Benjamin S. Alfred |
Fioralda Kico |
Related links on UMassMedNow:
Advanced practice nursing student ready to ‘make a difference’: Pinning ceremony a rite of passage for Graduate Entry Pathway Kasia Dodman, classmates
Convocation Week marks start of academic year
Pinning ceremony a milestone for nontraditional nursing students
